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Washington, John Marshall and Adams Family Connections, by Mrs. George H. Tichenor, 
(lineal descendent of Mary Ann Adkins, niece of Lady Washington, mother of George Wash- 
ington, and a member of the Louisiana and Kentucky State Historical Societies). Abstracted 
from record compiled by Col. Marshall J. Smith, C. S. A., graduate from U. S. Naval Academy, 
Annapolis. Introduced by George H. Tichenor, A, B. (Tulane), M. D. (Tulane), Member Amer-^4'^'^^^ ' 
ican Editor's Association, Former Member American Historical Association. ^^^ 

INTRODUCTION 
In view of the recent propaganda that Washington was an atheist or deist, it was thought 
advisable to publish that part of the family record of Col. Marshall J. Smith, C. S. A., which 
is of historic interest as there is nothing in family tradition or record which would indicate 
the veracity of these assertions, which, of course, could be refuted by church records. 

Genealogies are not only of value in showing family connections and explaining family 
ideals and characteristics that affect society but are of service in eugenic study. The state is, 
ifter all, but a manifestation of the ideals of its leaders. 

VIRGINIA, MY VIRGINIA 

(Dedicated to Governor E. Lee Trinkle) 

By Mrs. George H. Tichenor. 

In the state of old Virginia 

Where the cornfields gaily nod, 

Where the church spires, ever climbing. 

Strive to teach the Word of God, 

There's an air of sweet refinement, 

Truly part ot her, 1 know. 

Like the dear old songs of mammies 

Sung in that sweet long ago. 

There's a stamp, you can't mistake it. 

And in viewing family trees, 

'Tis with pride, they'll proudly tell you. 

We are of the F. F. V.'s, 

And there's nothing dearer to them 

Than their lines on history's scroll. 

And how oftpn, oh, how often, 

Are these tales forever told. 

Their polish and their culture, too. 

Are beyond words to express. 

My father hails from that old state, 

And her I'd truly bless. 

Her women I have mentioned not, 

But leave it still to you. 

Their countenance with beauty marked, 

Is crowned with truest blue. 

You may travel all the world around. 

When you start out to roam. 

But the sunshine ever lures us 

To our old Virginia Home. 

There are many states throughout the land. 

And History's marked their fate — 

But Virginia, Old Virginia, 

Is a grand and noble state. 



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Col. Smith states that he had been collecting for years from different parts of Virginia 
and Maryland where the original family immigrants came from and settled in the early days of 
the colonists, documents concerning his family. 

As these documents were many, this outline will contain only a short history of each 
branch. A great deal of his information came from Warrenton, Va., his birthplace, where some 
of his mother's and most of his father's family had their official business and homes in the 
neighborhood. He states, "I found where I received information by tradition, that I was able 
to verify same in almost every case when in a position to refer to records." From a scrap of 
paper, "which is amongst my papers, I read, 'John Smith, of England, married Mary Ann Adkins 
of Wales.' 

"These Smiths were known as the 'Germantown' Smiths, as there were three families of 
Smiths settled in and around Fauquier and Warrenton. The family of Smiths from which I come 
are known as the Germantown, in contra-distinction with 'Pignut Mountain' Smiths and Governor 
Smith's family. I have never been able to discover any relationship between the three families. 
T'^V jror the name "Germantown" Smiths from the fact that Governor Spottsford contracted 
wit!i rial brought over Germans to work the gold mines of Spottsylvania. These Germans 
bought a tract of land and divided it into 100 acre lots; and it was in that section that my an- 
cestors settled and bought up most of the land, mostly from the Germans. 

UV.U1I Smith, my emigrant ancestor, came from Bristol Eng. about 1700, and settled in 
Westmoreland County, Va. From papers I have, I take him to have been the son of a wealthy 
gentleman merchant of the firm of Smith, Yaks & Co., who were doing a large business with the 
Virginia Colony, for my correspondent writes me that from the number of things shipped to 
him his parents must have been wealthy He was a planter, and snon aftpr his arrival in America 
married a Mary Ann Adkins, a Welsh lady, who is said to have been a niece of Lady Washington, 
the mother of George Washington. In his will he refers to his wife as 'Mary,' to whom, when 
he died in 1725, he left most of his property. There survived him a wife and three sons, 
Thomas, John and Augustine. 

"Thomas Smith, the eldest brother, sold his possessions in Westmoreland to his brother 
,'ohn, aii.l moved to Orange County, Virginia, since when all trace of him have been lost by my 
branch 01 the family. 

John Smith, the second son of the first John, married Miss Lizzie Marshall, and his 
younger brother, Augustine, married Miss Nannie Marshall, both daughters of Mr. John Mar- 
shal:, of the 'Forrest.' Of the Marshall family there is quite a good deal to say. The following is 
an extract from the family memorial of W. M. Paxton, of Platte City, Missouri: 

" 'Captain John Marshall distinguished himself at the siege of Calais, in the reign of 
Mary, in 1556. He was wounded at the capture of the city, and having returned to Ireland, died 
there. John, who descended from him, was a captain at the Battle of the Boyne, in the reign 
of James II. The second John was an Episcopalian, and did not follow the fortunes of his dis- 
posed sovereign, but came to America about 1690, and settled first at Jamestown, Va., and 
thence removed to Westmoreland County, in the same colony. He had a son named Thomas, 
who had a son named John, called John of the 'Forrest.' The latter was a farmer and a cooper. 
He married Elizabeth Markham. His sons were Thomas, John, William and Markham. He also 
had three daughters, two of whom married the Smiths, and the third, Mary, married the Rev. 
William McClanahan. The latter removed to Woodford County, Kentucky.' (From records in 
my possession I learn that John of the 'Forrest' had four sons and five daughters.) 






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"Continuing, Mr. Paxton says: 'Thomas, afterwards Col. of the 4th Company, Virginia 
Volunteers, was educated at the same school as Washington, in Westmoreland County, Virginia; 
was with him as a young surveyor, and in the French War, was a lieutenant under him. He 
was not at Braddock's defeat, having been left behind to build Fort Necessity. At the outbreak 
of the Revolution, he was made major of Col. Woodford's regiment. He distinguished himself at 
the Battle of Great Bridge — the first battle on Virginia soil. He was frequently elected to the 
House of Burgesses of Virginia. He was at Valley Forge and saved the army at Brandywine, 
and was complimented with a sword by the Continental Congress for courage and eminent ser- 
vices. He married Mary Isham Keith. At the close of the war in 1783, he came to Kentucky 
and settled at Buck Pond, in Woodford County. He died in 1802.' 

"Mr. Paxton tells us that Col. Thomas Marshall took a high position for natural mind and 
cultivated manners in his home in upper Fauquier County, Va., and at the outbreak of the 
Revolutionary War, he was pointed to as the proper man to raise the regiment required for ser- 
vice. Mr. Paxton further relates that his oldest son, John, then a modest youth, but after- 
wards Chief Justice of the United States, was selected by the volunteers to lead the company 
from Fauquier County, which honor, John accepted with diffidence, saying that he would do h: 
duty and that nothing more could be required of him. Col. Thomas Mar.shall, at the close o 
the war, found himself penniless, and at the suggestion of George Washington, accepted the ol 
fice as surveyor of Kentucky, where with his land warrants and continental money he becami 
possessor of a hundred thousand acres of the finest land on earth. By referring to Mr. Paxton's 
book on the 'Marshall Family' further information regarding this family may be secured. 

"Augustine Smith, by his wife Nannie Marshall, had ten children, of which one, Thomas 
(my grandfather) married Miss Elizabeth Adams. 

"I will give a brief history of the Adams' family: John Adams came to Maryland from 
Worcestershire County, England, about the time of Charles H. His mother was the sister of 
Sir Thomas Lyttleton and he was the college chum of George Lyttleton, afterwards Lord Lyttle- 
ton and the great Premier of England for many years. When in college the boys got into a 
frolic and our ancestor, John Adams, put on the Dean's robe and acted as priest, which was 
learned by the faculty and it was thought advisable for him to leave ; he did so, privately coming 
to Annapolis, Md. This John Adams married an Elizabeth Nailor in 1725, who was the daughter 
of George and Elizabeth Nailor. There were four sons born unto John and Elizabeth Adam;^ ■" 
one, "John Adams married Miss Stacy Gibbons and moved to Fauquier County, Va." They hud 
ten children, Elizabeth, born in 1754, married Thomas Smith, grandfather of Colonel Marshall 
Smith. To the couple were born twelve children. 

"Col. Marshall Smith says: 'John, my father, born 1781, afterwards changed his name to 
John Adams Washington, married first, Maria Love Hawkins, second, Mrs. Julia Ann McPherson, 
and third Miss Sallie Odell Hall. My father, by first marriage, had twelve children, of which I 
was the eleventh.' 

"My grandfather. Col. Marshall J. Smith, married Miss Mary Ann Taylor of Norfolk, Va., 
in 1849. My grandmother was the daughter of Arthur Taylor and Miss Ann Saunders. The Saund- 
ers family was essentially a military one, some of them having been in the army or navy since 
the formation of the Virginia government. My grandfather was born Oct. 17, 1824. 

"He was educated until seventeen about his home in Fauquier and in Baltimore. Through 
the influence of one of his brothers, he obtained an appointment as a midshipman in the U. S. 
Navy through Henry A. Wise, a Virginia Congressman. The appointment came in 1841. In 
1847, he passed his examination at Annapolis and remained as midshipman in the U. S. Navy 
until 1851. 



"Then followed a series of cruises : On the Macedonia, under Commodore Wilkinson, to the 
West Indies; a world cruise on the U. S. Sloop, St. Louis; then he attached himselt to the re- 
ceiving ship Pennsylvania, at Norfolk. Before the outbreak of the Mexican War he was at An- 
napolis for a short time with the class of 1840, who were the first to be graduated from that 
most famous school. Col. Smith took active part in the Mexican War, in the taking of Vera 
Cruz and other ports on the frigates Raritan and Cumberland. 

"After the war he returned to the Naval Academy at Annapolis and was graduated with 
honors. He married after a cruise in the Baltic, engaged in another cruise in the Mediterranean, 
resigned his commission and entered the mercantile business in Mobile and later in New Orleans. 
He formed a partnership with David Hadden, under the firm name of Smith and Hadden. Had- 
den retired and Col. Smith was prospering with his business with the advent of the Civil War. 

"He helped organize the Crescent Regiment ; took part in the battle of Shiloh ; served 
afterwards in the regular artillery; was taken prisoner at Port Hudson and held for fourteen 
months; was exchanged at Charleston in 1864; served in front of Richmond; was sent to Hali- 
fax on special duty and was there when the surrender was made. His wife died Feb. 14, 1893, 
on the anniversary of her birth and wedding. Col. Smith eulogized her as a "Roman wife and 
mother, never complaining, ever true to her duty. She died, calm, resigned and true. - - - I 
alone await the call." The call came June 19, 1904, in New Orleans." 



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